Transporting apparatus



July 21, 1953 ALVARE 2,646,178

TRANSPORTING APPARATUS 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 5, 1950 Fla. 2-

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July 21, 1953 N. F. ALVARE TRANSPORTING APPARATUS 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 5, 1950 INVENTOR:

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Patented July 21, 19 53" This invention relates to transporting apparatus useful for example in transporting sugar cane or the like in bulk from the fields where it is grown, to refineries or to relatively distant railway freight stations for furthershipmentln a copending patent application Serial No. 7 4,814,

filed by me on February 5, 1949, now Patent No.

'2,604,219, there is disclosed a motortruck for transporting a skid of special construction after .it is filled with the cuticane at the field, said truck being equipped with power actuated means whereby the loaded skid is drawn from the ground level into position on the truck andlocked against the possibility of displacement during transit.

The use of the apparatus of this copending application has proven to be highly successful in' actual practice, and has made possible great sav-v ings in labor costs in the handling and transportation of products or materials of the kind referred to over the methods and facilitiesavailable prior to its conception. V J 7 The chief aim of my present invention is to make even greater economies possible inhandling and transporting farm and other products. This objective is realized, asjhereinafter more fully set forth, through the provision of trailers with means by whieh they can be initially hitched one to another and the leading one in the train to a truck characterized as above with their chassis frames rigidly connected and held in direct align ment during transfer to them of individual loaded skids successively brought -.up by the truck, and

' by'which after complete loading of the train, the

trailers can be loosely coupled relative to each other and to the truck for capacity to-swivel dur-,

ing transit. I Other important objectives and attendant advantages will'appear from. the following detailed description of the attached drawings, wherein Fig. 1 is'a view'in side elevation, of a train consisting of a motor truck and a plurality of trailers conveniently embodying my invention,

with the trailers close coupled toreceive individual loaded skids from said truck. I V

Fig; 2 is'a view like Fig. 1 with the several units loose coupled for swivelling during transit.

Fig.3 is a view drawn to a larger scale and showing the leading trailer of the series in side elevation. f

Fig. 4 shows the trailer of Fig. 3- in top plan. Fig. 5 is a fragmentary view in longitudinal section of the coupling arrangement between the truck and the leading trailer, drawn to a still larger scale.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary view in horizontal section taken as indicated by the angled arrows VIVI in Fig. 5. 1 I

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary view showing the front end of the next trailer in top plan. 1

Fig. 8 is a longitudinal section taken as indicated by the angled arrows VIII VII. I in Fig. 7

V 'verse section taken as indicated by u 1 r1 :o s'TArss PATENT FFICE Fig. 10 is a fragmentary detail view in longitu'dinal section, taken as indicated by the angled rarrows X-Xin Fig. 9 and Fig. 11 is a fragmentary detail view in transthe angled arrows XI-XI in Fig. 2

With more detailed reference, first more particularly to Figs. 1 and 2 of these illustrations,

the numeral I comprehensively designates the motor truck; the numerals 2 and 2a, the trailers; and the numeral 4, the skids. As in my copending application, the truck I has, at intervals along the side longitudinals 5 of its chassis frame, outwardly projecting transverse rollers such as the one indicated at 6 which are disposed in a plane at a slight rearwarddeclination to the horizontal,

whereon the runners I of the skids are adapted to rest. Larger rollers, such as the one indicated at 8 at the rear end of the chassis frame, aid in centering the skids on the truck incident to loading. The skids are drawn onto the truck by a pull cable (not shown) actuated from a power winch (not shown) at the front end of the truck.

In this operation, the cable is connected to the front end of the skid and guided by a centrally lug I! on the chassis frame I2. 5

' longitudinals extend, similarly at lengthwise ingrooved roller III 'rotatively supported on the rear transverse member II of the truck chassis frame, in the mannerfully explained in the copending application, supra.

Except as hereinafter noted, the trailers 2 and 2a are identical. Accordingly, the description about to follow of the trailer 2 will serve also for V the trailer 2a whereof the corresponding parts designated by the same reference numerals but with the letter a added in each instance for convenience of more ready distinction. As shown,

the chassis frame I2 of trailer 2 is of structural iron and sustained medially of its length by a pair of wheels I3, with interposition of springs It.

when its use is not required. The sidelongitu dinals I9 of the trailer chassis frame are'rigidly connected by spacedintermediate and end cross members 20 and 2|, see Fig. 3, and through said tervals, transverse shafts 22 with rollers 23 at their protruding ends on which the runners I of a skid are adapted to restin the same manner'as,

above described in connection :with' rollers 6' on 'sis frame the skid on the trailer during transit. Centrally of its front end, the trailer 2 has a forwardly projecting hitching tongue 38, see Figs. 3 the 4,

with a terminal eye 3!, and with an aperture 32 at a substantial distance inward from said'eye. As shown, the tongue Si is parallel edged for the greater portion of its length but flared toward its anchorage end as at 33, the side edges of the flare being sloped at complementary angles with respect to the longitudinal axis of the'tongue. From Figs. 3 and 4, it will also be observed that the front ends of rails 25 on trailer 2 are curved inwardly as at 35 to meet with a pair of forwardly converging brace members 36 of the chas- 52. To these brace members 355 is welded a transverse guard 3? which is rounded to engage over the roller it at the rear endof the truck when the trailer is hitched for loading as shown in 1 and 5. In the case of trailer 2:: however, the tongue Sea is plain, i. e., devoid of any guard and permanently connected directly to the front and next adjacent cross members- 29 of the chassis 12a frame as shown in Fig. '1'.

In accordance with my present invention and as best shown in Fig. 5, the truck I is provided centrally of its rear end with a close coupling element in the form of a socket to immediately beneath the rear cross member if of its chassis frame, the'opening of said socket element being flared to correspond with the flare 3 3 on the tongue 36 of the trailer 2. In hitching the trailer and which are in compression between the guide .lugs 56 and El and a collar 54 aflixed to said shank. Pivotally connected to the hook 48 to close downward upon the latter and form an eye, is a complemental arcua'te' keeper element 55. After a skid has been transferred to the trailer -2 and another one has been loaded upon the truck, the pin 53 is Withdrawn and the truck moved-forward until the socket element 48 clears The jack I5 is thereupon opthe tongueuse." erated to peer the front end of the trailer 2 untilthe ey endfi of the tongue 3% is at the level of the hook 43 of the supplemental coupling device 5'1." The truck is then backed up and the 2 in preparation for loading, its tongue so is passed into the socket element 458' on the truck 1 as indicated in broken lines in Fig. 6, until the flare of the tongue is snugly within said socket element as shown in full lines. When the tongue at is thus fully engaged, the aperture 32' therein will register with aligned apertures il respectively in the top and bottom webs of the socket element as on the truck as shown in Fig. 5-, for reception of a locking pin 113', said pin being relatively heavy and rounded at the bottom and will therefore readily fall into the aligned aper tures under the influence of gravity. The pin is connected to a pull cord or cable it which end leveled so that a skid will roll by gravity onto its chassis from the truck. In preparation for the loading of the trailer 2, it is to be understood that the jack it vill be set as in Fig. 2, to suetain the chassis [2 at its front end. Again referring to Fig. 5', the truck I is further provided at the rear, with a supplemental coupling means which will allow swivelling of the trailer 2 dur-- ing' transit. As shown, this supplemental con-- pling means comprising a hook it with a horizontal shank 39' which is constrained to endwis'e movement in apertured guide lugs 50 and 55 on the chassis frame of the truck immediately beneath the socket element it. The movement of the hook $8" iscushioned by helical springs 52 and 53 which surround the'sha-nk 49-of saidhook hook 48 engaged with the eye end 3! of the tongue 38 on the trailer 2, thecomplemental element 55 dropped to close thehook, and the jack it finally raised and locked in the out of way position in which it is shown in Fig. 2. d

The trailers 2 and 2 are respectively provided at their rear ends with socket elements es, and with supplemental coupling devices 6!, tie which are identical respectively with the socket element at and supplemental coupling device 5? on the truck I.

Incident to transfer to the trailer 2, the skid is arrested by a retractable stop element which is indicated in Fig. 2 and shown in detail in Figs. 9 and 10. This stop element is up from structural iron parts with laterally spaced channel section end pieces 66 welded to a horizontal bar 87 to which a pair of laterally spaced sup porting arms es are in turn welded, said arms being pierced for pivotal connection to a horizontal rod 69 extending between bearing lugs Ell welded to the top of the socket memberttf. 'Whenin the upright position in which it is shown in full lines in Fig. 10, the stop 65 will intercept the skid by engagement of its end projections 66 with the rearmost frame cross member of said skid. When its use is not required, the stop t5 is swung downward to the dot and dash lines in Fig. 1D in which it is held by engagement of its end projections 66 with one of the intermediate cross member's of the trailer chassis frame as shown in broken lines in Fig. 10.

Endwise displacement as well as rise and fall of the skid on the trailer during transit are prevented by a locking means which comprises a pair of' L shaped elements H, see Figs. 2, 4 and 11, whereof the longer legs are engaged, with capacity for both endwise movement and rotation, within transversely aligned openings 12 in the side longitudinals it of the trailer chassis and which are connected by a tension spring 73. Normally when not in use, the locking elements ll are positioned as in Figs. 1, 3 and 4 with the end portions of their short arms engaged in holes '34 in the side longitudinals i9 of the trailer chassis frame. After a skid has been run onto-the trailer 2 and arrested by the stop 65, the elements H are withdrawn against the action of the spring T3, turned upright, for passage of their free ends through holes E5 in the opposite runners oi the skid into engagement with eye lugs 76 recessed into and welded fast to the guard rails 26 on the trailer chassis frame as instanced in Fig. 11.

In the operation of the apparatus, the trailers 2 and 2a are set up and close coupled in alignment with'the locking elements '5 l, Ha in their inactive positions, the stop 65cm trailer2 dropped, and the stop 65 on trailer 29 set in upright active position. With this accomplished, the truck I, with a filled skid thereon is backed up to-the leading trailer 2 and close coupled in alignment with the truckyall" as shown in'Fig. I; The skid is then released to roll from truck lover the trailer 2 and onto the trailer 2a until arrested by the stop 65a on the latter, and then secured in position by means of the locking element 5 la. After I the trailer 2a is loaded in this Way, pinof the close coupling means 60 is withdrawn and the I trailer 2 pulled away by the truck to free the tongue a, the front end of trailer 2a lowered somewhat by operation of jack i 5a and the truck re-backed for loose coupling of said tongue with the hook of the coupling device 6| of trailer 2.

' the socket element for engagementby the terminal eye of the tongue on the trailer.

The truck is then detached and run off to fetch another skid, and thereupon again backed into and close coupled with the leading trailer The second skid is then released to roll onto the lead: ing trailer 2 until arrested by th stop 55 (which has been raised in the meantime) and secured in position by means of the locking devices 71..

The truck is thereupon once more detached and run off to fetch another filled skid, but before being backed u this time, thejack I5 is oper- V ated to lower the front end of the trailer 2 for loose coupling of th latter to the truck by means necessitating breaking up the train. Upon return of the apparatus to the field, a procedure the reverse of that above described i resorted to in removing the empty skids.

It is of course to be understood that instead of two, herein shown byway of exemplification, additional trailers of the type 2a may be entrained,

provided that the drawing power of the truck is not exceeded. When more than three trailers are used, I equip the last one of the series at the rear end, as instanced in Fig. 1, with a manually operable hand winch 80 for a cable to be used in drawing the skids from one trailer to another in the event that they should stickand fail to roll along under their own momentum from the truck.

Having thus, described my invention, I claim: 1. In transporting apparatus of the character described, a motor truck'having a chassis with a series of transverse rollers arranged .in a rearwardly-declining plane, and with a cable and reeling means for drawing skids from the ground onto the rollers; a trailer having a chassis likewise with a series of rollers and releasable means for coupling the truck to the trailer temporarily with the chassis or the latter in longitudinal alignment so that, upon being freed, the skid will roll by gravity from the truck onto the trailer, said means including a socket element affixed centrally of the rear of the truck chassis and having I an inwardly tapering slot opening and a pair of coaxial apertures in its top and bottom, a forwardly extending tongue centrally of the forward end of the trailer chassis having a terminal eye and'a tapered portion rearwardly of said eye to 2. Transporting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the trailer is of the two-wheeled type; and wherein the trailer is provided with retractable jack means whereby its front end can :be raised and lowered to facilitate connection of the rigid'and pivotal coupling means.

3. In transporting apparatu of the character described, a motor truck having a chassis with a series of transverse rollers arranged in a rearwardly declining plane, a cable and powered reeling means for. drawing a skid from the ground level'onto the rollers; a train of interconnected trailers each having a chassis likewise with a series of transverse rollers; releasable means for temporarily coupling th trailers in. longitudinal alignment with the contiguous ends of their chassis leveled and abutting, said means including socket elementsaffixed centrally of the rear ends of trailer and truck chassis respectively having tapering horizontal slot opening and a pair of coaxial apertures in their tops and bottoms, forwardly-projecting fiat tongues centrally of the front ends of the trailers respectively having terminal eyes, tapered portions rearwardly of the eyes to snugly fit into the openings of the socket elements and apertures to register with the coaxial apertures in the socket elements, and

locking pins insertable throughthe registering apertures; releasable means for similarly coupiing the truck to the leading trailer of the series after being backed into said trailer so that upon being. freed, the skids will roll by gravity from the a truck to the trailers; means for arresting the skids as they roll into position on the respective trailers and supplemental means for use after the skids are all loaded for pivotally coupling the fit snugly into the opening of the socket element,

trailer to the truck in preparation for transit in eluding a spring-cushioned hook element centrally of th rear end of the truck chassi below trailers one to another and for similarly coupling the leading trailer to the truck, the last mentioned means respectively including spring-cushioned hook elements centrally of the rear ends of the truck andtrailer chassis for engagement'by the terminal eyes of the tongues on the trailers.

their front ends can be raised and lowered to" facilitate connection of the rigid and pivotal coupling means. U

5. Transporting apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the truck chassis is provided centrally of its rear endwith a roller overwhichthe'skiols are swung incident to being drawn onto the truck;

and wherein the coupling tongue on the leading trailer of the'series is provided with a rounded guard to engage about the aforesaid roller on the truck chassis. I a

NEMESIO F. ALVARE.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS,

Number Name Date 1,563,863 Joyner Dec. 1, 1925 1,915,883 Pager June 27, 1933 2,135,857 Stahl Nov. 8, 1938 2,478,658 Harbors Aug. 9, 1949 2,508,740 Alvare May 23, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS Number i Country Date 355,399 France Oct. 30, 1905 

